The Ride: Using imagination to attract and hire

Faruq Hunter (left) consults at a furniture factory in Moldova, near the Black Sea, about using technology to enhance manufacturing. He is president of Global Operations of his Atlanta-Ga.-based IT consultancy, The GeniusCo Group LLC. (Photo by Aliyyah Terborg)

Entrepreneurs often don't have an easy way to attract employees. Either they're small and don't have the budget, equity or position to attract them or they face keen competition.

Faruq Hunter, president of Global Operations of The GeniusCo Group LLC, an IT consultancy based in Atlanta, Ga., approached the obstacle of hiring in a novel way (www.gc-usa.com). Seeing employees as future customers, he developed GeniusCorps.org, a residential mentoring, partnering and networking program infusing entrepreneurism in IT developers who likely will want to own businesses. "Our paths cross at a time when people are growing but need (to be developed)," he remarks. "We employ some and others we send to partners."

Will Schneider, president of InsightQuote Inc., a Denver, Colo.-based online lead-generator connecting companies with pre-screened outsourcers, found hiring a challenge when he wanted to expand (www.WarehousingAndFulfillment.com). Like many entrepreneurs lacking capital or access to it, he offered employees a benefit – flexible scheduling upon completion of training. They may work at home, if they choose, outfitted with a company-paid laptop and cell phone. "They have a set objective each week," Schneider says. "As long as it's met, they make their own schedule."

Hunter started up in 2008 with $10,000 from a contract and subsequently reinvested $350,000 from company profits. Schneider opened in 2005 with approximately $25,000 from friends and family and later added savings of $30,000. While building relationships, both entrepreneurs decided to generate more revenue.

Schneider was networking locally to avoid the silo effect and saw opportunity in some of the challenges businesses were facing. Selling face-to-face about half of the time, he launched a new service for organizations in the community. Hunter became friends with a Google executive in Egypt who made him aware of the Internet's coming role in changing people's lives. "He said the growth of the Internet is so powerful that we shouldn't be running after old money, but money no one knows exists," Hunter comments. "We should build an engine of young people as customers, brothers and sisters." That led to GeniusCorps.

Hunter's belief "in people and their ability to do things" made GeniusCorps successful, but a seven million-dollar contract evaporated in Moldova, Russia, which made the entrepreneur feel "slightly out-fought, slightly angry" and pained by the loss of money and time. Schneider mentions the importance of getting out of the entrepreneurial silo and being proactive. However, two years ago, when the business wasn't producing enough income for the family, "I just felt really depressed."

About a year later WarehousingandFulfillment.com, InsightQuote's dba, added new markets. In two months the business more than doubled. Last year's gross revenue reached $416,275. "It's awesome to see your baby take the next step in growth," Schneider says. "It was just fantastic."

Hunter's high came shortly after the ride began, when it was easy. "We found a vein that helped us grow," he explains. "We set up offices in Costa Rica and Egypt. It makes you feel a little bit invincible." Last year's gross revenue hit $19.8 million.